The Book of common prayer. With notes by sir J. Bayley

"to feed thee there." 5. So he went, and did according unto the word of the LORD: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6. And the ravens brought him bread

and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening: and he drank of the brook. 7. And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 8. And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, "9. Arise, get "thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to "Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I "have commanded a widow woman "there to sustain thee." 10. So he arose, and went to Zarephath: and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, 66 a little water in a vessel, that I may "drink." 11. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of "bread in thine hand." 12. And she said, "As the LORD thy God liveth, I "have not a cake, but an handful of "meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a "cruse: and behold, I am gathering "two sticks, that I may go in, and "dress it for me and my son, that we

may eat it, and die." 13. And Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go, and do "as thou hast said: but make me

"thereof a little cake first, and bring it

"unto me, and after make for thee and "for thy son. 14. For thus saith the "LORD God of Israel, "The barrel of "meal shall not waste, neither shall the "cruse of oil fail, until the day that the "LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.” 15. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house did eat many days. 16. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah. 17. And it came to

pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath left in him. 18. And she said unto Elijah, "What "have I to do with thee, O thou man "of God? art thou come unto me to "call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son ?" 19. And he said unto her, "Give me thy son." And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. 20. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, "O "LORD my God, hast thou also brought "evil upon the widow with whom I "sojourn, by slaying her son ?" 21. And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, "O LORD my God, I pray "thee, let this child's soul come into "him again." 22. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, "See, thy son liveth." 24. And the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I "know that thou art a man of God, "and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth."

CHAP. XVIII.

AND it came to pass after many days,

that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third (e) year, saying, "Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I "will send rain upon the earth." 2. And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine (g) in Samaria. 3. And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 4. For it was so, when Jezebel (h) cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed

(g) v.2. “Famine," in consequence of the drought.

(h) v. 4. "Jezebel," "Ahab's wife:" a Zidonian, whostirred up Ahab to many of his sins

them with bread and water.) 5. And Ahab said unto Obadiah, "Go into "the land, unto all fountains of water, "and unto all brooks: peradventure "we may find grass to save the horses "and mules alive: that we lose not all "(i) the beasts." 6. So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. 7. And as Obadiah was in the way, behold Elijah met him and he knew him, and fell on his face, and said, "Art thou that my lord Elijah ?" ❝8. And he answered him, I am go "tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here." 9. And he said, "What have I sinned, "that thou wouldest deliver thy servant "into the hand of Ahab to slay me? "10. As the LORD thy God liveth, there ❝is no nation or kingdom, whither my "lord hath not sent to seek thee: and "when they said, He is not there; he "took an oath of the kingdom and na❝tion, that they found thee not. 11. And "now thou sayest, "Go tell thy lord, "Behold, Elijah is here. 12. And it "shall come to pass, as soon as I am "gone from thee, that the spirit of the "LORD shall carry thee whither I know and so when I come and tell not; "Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he "shall slay me: but I thy servant fear "the LORD from my youth. 13. Was "it not told my lord, what I did when "Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD? "how I hid an hundred men of the "LORD's prophets by fifty in a cave, "and fed them with bread and water? "14. And now thou sayest, "Go tell

thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here: and "he shall slay me." 15. And Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts liveth, "before whom I stand, I will surely "shew myself unto him to day." 16. So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17. And it came to pass when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him,

(i) v. 5. "All the beasts," for want of

water.

(k) v. 17. "Troubleth Israel," by having prayed for the drought, which caused the famine. See James v. 17, 18.

"Art thou he that troubleth (k) Israel?" 18. And he answered, "I have not "troubled Israel, but thou and thy fa"ther's house, in that ye have forsaken "the commandments of the LORD, and "thou hast followed Baalim (1). 19. Now "therefore send and gather to me all "Israel unto mount Carmel, and the "prophets of Baal (1) four hundred and "fifty, and the prophets of the groves "four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's "table." 20. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. 21. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, "How long halt ye be "tween two opinions? if the LORD be "God, follow him: but if Baal, then "follow him." And the people answered him not a word. 22. Then said Elijah unto the people, " I, even I only "remain a prophet of the LORD; but "Baal's prophets are four hundred and "fifty men. 23. Let them therefore

give us two bullocks, and let them "choose one bullock for themselves, "and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, "and put no fire under: and I will dress "the other bullock, and lay it on wood, "and put no fire under: 24. And call

ye on the name of your gods, and I "will call on the name of the LORD: "and the God that answereth by fire(m), "let him be God." And all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken." 25. And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, "Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye

are many and call on the name of "your gods, but put no fire under." 26. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, "O Baal, "hear us." But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leapt upon the altar which was made. 27. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, "Cry aloud:

"for he (n) is a god, either he is talking, "or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, "or peradventure he sleepeth, and must "be awaked." 28. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29. And it came to pass, when mid-day was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30. And Elijah said unto all the people, "Come

near unto me." And all the people came near unto him: And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word (o) of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be thy name." 32. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, "Fill four barrels with 66 water, and pour it on the burnt-sacri"fice, and on the wood." 34. And he said, "Do it the second time:" and they did it the second time. And he said, "Do it the third time:" and they did it the third time. 35. And the water ran round about the altar, and he filled the trench also with water. 36. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, "LORD "God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Is"rael, let it be known this day, that "thou art God in Israel, and that I am "thy servant, and that I have done all "these things at thy word. 37. Hear

me, O LORD, hear me, that this peo"ple may know that thou art the LORD "God, and that thou hast turned (p) "their heart back again." 38. Then

(n) v. 27. “He is a god, &c." ironically. (o) v. 31. "The word, &c." Gen. xxxii. 28. "Thy name shall be called no more "Jacob, but Israel."

(p) v. 37. "Turned their heart back

the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt-sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said: "The "LORD he is the God, the LORD he is "the God." 40. And Elijah said unto them, "Take the prophets of Baal, let "not one of them escape:" and they took them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 41. And Elijah said unto Ahab, "Get thee up, eat and drink, for "there is a sound of abundance of rain." 42. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink, and Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43. And said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." And he went up, and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again seven times. 44. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, there ariseth a little "cloud out of the sea, like a man's "hand." And he said, Go up, say "unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee "not." 45. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went

to Jezreel (g). 46. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab, to the entrance of Jezreel.

CHAP. XIX.

AND Ahab told Jezebel all (r) that Elijah had done, and withall how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy "life as the life of one of them, by tomorrow about this time." 3. And "again," i. e. "attempted to reclaim them, "to bring them back again to thee."

(q) v. 45. "Jezreel," where Ahab lived. See 1 Kings xxi. 1. post, 589.

(r) v. 1." All, &c." See the preceding chap.

when he saw that, he arose and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die (s), and said, "It is enough, now "O LORD, take away my life: for I am "not better than my fathers." 5. And as he lay and slept under a juniper-tree, behold then an angel touched him, and said unto him, "Arise and eat." 6. And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 7. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is "too great for thee." 8. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty (t) days and forty nights, unto Horeb (u) the mount of God. 9. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, "What doest thou "here, Elijah?" 10. And he said, “ I "have been very jealous for the LORD "God of hosts for the children of "Israel have forsaken thy covenant, "thrown down thine altars, and slain

thy prophets with the sword; and I, "even I only am left, and they seek my "life to take it away." 11. And he said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount

(s) v. 4. “Die." This gave occasion to St. James's observation, that Elijah (whom he calls Elias) was a man subject to like passions as we are. James v. 17.

(t) v. 8. "Forty days and forty nights." The same length of time Moses was without food upon the Mount, and our Saviour in the Wilderness.

(u) v. 8. "Horeb," or "Sinai," where God had his communications with Moses, and perhaps the same mountain in which the transfiguration occurred, when Moses and Elias (i. e. Elijah) appeared talking with our Saviour. One object in the transfiguration might be, to intimate to the Apostles who witnessed it, that Christ was the person who in the former instances had appeared to Moses and Elias.

"before the LORD." the LORD passed by,

And behold (1), and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was rot in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 12. And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice (y). 13. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave: and be hold there came a voice unto him, and said, "What doest thou here, Elijah?" 14. And he said, "I have been very "jealous for the LORD God of hosts: "because the children of Israel have

"forsaken thy covenant, thrown down "thine altars, and slain thy prophets "with the sword; and I, even I only "am left, and they seek my life to take "it away." 15. And the LORD said unto him, "Go, return on thy way to "the wilderness of Damascus: and "when thou comest, anoint Hazael to "be king over Syria. 16. And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be

king over Israel: and Elisha the son "of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt "thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. "17. And it shall come to pass, that "him that escapeth the sword of Ha"zael, shall Jehu slay: and him that

escapeth from the sword of Jehu, shall "Elisha slay. 18. Yet (z) I have left

(x) v. 11. "And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind, &c." or rather, "Lo, the Lord is about to pass by:" " and behold a great and strong wind, &c. 2 Hales 424." So Sept.

(y) v. 12. At the end, the Alexandrine Greek version adds, "and there was the Lord, 2. Hales 424."

(z) v. 18. "Yet have I left, &c." A rebuke to Elijah for his despair, as in verse 4. and for intimating that he only was left, &c. Allusion is made hereto, Ecclus. xlviii. 7. when, in speaking of other occurrences to Elijah, this is introduced: "Who heardest "the rebuke of the Lord in Sinai." And see Rom. xi. 4.

me seven thousand in Israel, all the "knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath "not kissed him." 19. So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was ploughing with twelve yoke of oren before him, and he with the twelfth and Elijah passed by him, and cast (a) his mantle upon him. 20. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me, I pray thee, "kiss my father and my mother, and "then I will follow thee." And he said unto him, "Go back again; for what "have I done to thee?" 21. And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat: then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

CHAP. XXI.

AND (b) it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria (c). 2. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, "Give me thy vineyard, that I may "have it for a garden of herbs, because "it is near unto my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than "it or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money." 3. And Naboth said to Ahab, "The "LORD (d) forbid it me, that I should "give the inheritance of my fathers "unto thee." 4. And Ahab came into his house, heavy and displeased, because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers: and he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 5. But Jezebel his

(a) v. 19. "Cast his mantle upon him," to intimate, that he was to bear the great prophetic office Elijah had sustained. (b) v. 1. Before Christ 900.

(c) "Samaria," the capital of Israel. (d) v. 3. "The Lord forbid it me." The sale of lands was against the Levitical law (Levit. xxv. 23.); and if land descended upon a woman, she was not to marry out of her own tribe, that the inheritance might

wife came to him, and said unto him, "Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou "eatest no bread?" 6. And he said unto her, "Because I spake unto Naboth the "Jezreelite, and said unto him, "Give "me thy vineyard for money; or else "if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it" and he answered, "I will not give thee my vineyard." 7. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, "Dost thou (e) now govern the kingdom "of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and "let thine heart be merry: I will (g) give thee the vineyard of Naboth the "Jezreelite.” 8. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9. And she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, "and set Naboth on high among the "people: 10. And set two men, sons "of Belial (h), before him, to bear witness against him, saying, "Thou didst "blaspheme God and the king:" and "then carry him out, and stone him that "he may die." 11. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth "did blaspheme God and the king." Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 14. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth is stoned, and is dead." 15. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

« Anterior Continuar »

Libros